The Many Faces of Jack the Ripper

A psychological and pictorial account of the gruesome "Ripper" murders which shocked a nation. The mystery behind the world's most infamous serial killer is revealed through photographs of the victims, suspects and atmospheric images of the crime scenes as they are today.

Originally published in England in 1997, this is the most heavily illustrated title available on the Whitechapel murders and features both vintage and contemporary photos. Rather than unfurl the case chronologically from the first killing, Trow (Maxwell's House, St. Martin's, 1995) instead presents a more sociological analysis of the grisly events of 1888, quoting repeatedly from Jack London's People of the Abyss and other works that shattered the storybook image of London. As compared with previous volumes, Trow's is a tad light on detail but gains points for boldly insisting that the murder of Liz Stride was a coincidental killing not committed by Saucy Jack. Another plus is the inclusion of a modern forensic profile of some noted serial killers. Trow goofs, however, when drawing the illogical conclusion that the killer wasn't a foreigner because "there is nothing in the behavior of the immigrants of the 1880s to suggest violence of this type," which implies that any local cockney was capable of these singularly horrific acts! A minor blunder that does not mar an otherwise acceptable volume; recommended.?Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.